Hot Drinks, San Francisco: Spanish Coffee at Absinthe

Considering the number of gray days in San Francisco, it's important to have good warming drinks to liven up your rainy spring evenings (or, hey, afternoons.) A little bit of rum and brandy never hurts, either. Which makes the Spanish Coffee at Absinthe a perfect treat.

The drink included a free pyrotechnics show, too. After coating the rim of a large wine glass with lemon and sugar, a dram of Bacardi 151 is poured in and lit on fire. As the rum burns, cinnamon is sprinkled into the flame, sparking and caramelizing the sugar.

Hot coffee douses the flame, followed by Araku coffee liqueur and some Raynal brandy. In case this wasn't quite decadent enough, a generous dollop of freshly whipped cream tops it all off. The coffee is quality, the booze just boozy enough, and the overall effect comforting. Whether the following buzz is coming from the coffee or the rum is really for you to decide.